Game-reproducing mechanism



May 26, 1925.

R. R. OBRIEN GAME REPRODUGING MECHANISM Nl .im MJLMI anvar/whoa.

May 26, 1925. 1,539,366

R. R. o' BRIEN GAME REPRODUC ING MECHANI SM Filed Nov. 24. 1923 s sheetsgneet 2 @lune/mici May 26, 1925.

R. R. oBRlEN GAME REPRODUCING` MECHANI SM Filed Nov. 24. 1923 5 Sheng- Sheet 5 Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES ROBERT R. OBBIEN, 0F GOUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

GAME-narnciincine Meenemen.

'Application mea November 24, 192s. semi No.' ovarica To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, Rounn'rvR. OBnniN, a

vcitizen ot the United States, residing at Council Bluffs, in the county o f Pottawattamie and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game- Reproducing Mechanism, ot' which the i'ollowing is 'a specification.

My invention relates to inechanism'for reproducing or representing to a groni of spectators the various plays and lnci ents which occur during the progress of' games or competitive, field sportsfgsuch as football, soccer, polo and the like'.` It is tli'e'obje'ct of my vinvention to provide inga mechanism of this -chaiacternieans for indicating to the spectators all ofthe movementsupon the field of playof a-ball orthelike, at the same time indicating the pla er or players `who take part in the particu ar incident of the game which is being presented, and indicating also the general nature of the play orV incident. My invention is articularly adapted for the representation o field games involving the ilse ofl; i}` ball, and where the incidents of the gameinre reported by telophoneor telegraph tothe operators of the reproducing mec anism, located ,at any distance from the 'sooner-off actual play. In

the accompanying drawings I have shown an embodiment of my invention especially adapted for the representation of foot-ball fimes, and it'will `be obvious therefrom that,V

e same means inay be employed for repre-` senting the incidents of any analogous competitive game-involvin'movement of a ball li c or the eupon a 'fiel of play. Y

In the drawings Fig.' 1 is a-frontview of the game re reducing mechanism, or the portion thereo vwhich is viewed lby spectators, Fig. 2 is a rear view of th'einechaniSmshowing the partsiwhich are manipulate by the operato'sf'F calsection onthej' inea-3 of Fig. 2, and Fie.- 4 is a vdet il horizontal section on the In out my invention I provide" a fiat franje or board A6 having in the `centralportion "thereofan opening sha ed and pro-` Ap`oiitionedsimilarly to the fiel of play of 4theffganie to2-ghe"- represented, wliich inthe 'example illustrated is rectangular, withv its longerl sides horizontal. The field-board v7 isarranged behind the central opening of 'the .f rame, vso as to bel'seen through said opening from the lfront, being slightly are holders 19 for. cards marke vnames of `the opposing teams, and other ig. 3 is a transverse verti-l numbers 5, 1050, for indicating the disv tance ofi' *the respective lines from the goals or ends `of the field. At the ends of the field are marked the positionsV of the' goalposts 11, '.f

On the :frame adjacent tov the ends of the field-opening are arranged .a series of indicating devices, such as electric lamps 12,

which may be controlled by suitable switches (not shown) located at any position convenient for the operators of the mechanism. Near the lamps 12 are holders 13 'for cards orjslips 14 on which are marked the names ofthe players of the opposing teams.. The positions of the players are indicated by permanent marking, C for-center, RG for right guard, LT for left tackle, RHB for right lia-lf back, etc., the players of the opposing teams being shown at oppositc en s of the frame. Above the player-indicators are lamps 16 or similar indicating means'for showing which team has possession of the ball, and ad'acent to said lamps are 'holders 17 for car marked withthe names of the teams.v On the lower Aportion o f the frame near one end are lamps 18 or similar indicating vmeans for showing the number of downs At the opposite end cards on which are marked the scones made bythe respective teams.l during each quarter 'of the game. 'low the field-opening are lamps 21 adjacent Y :forv

Onthe frame above and beto which' are cards orjother markin showing the general nature of the p ay. or

with the other incidentl ofthe-game, such as forward pass,- end'rnnf punt, fumble, otou'chdown,, etc.,- which 1n.v each instance may be conveniently indicated by the. lighting of the respective lamp, under control of the switch thereforlocated near the operatorv of the mechanism.

dling respectively\the u per, .intermediate and lower ortions `of t e fieldboard, are three guide ars 22, 23 and 24, of which vthe intermediate portions extend horizontallyv yOn the rear'sideof the frame 6, and stradnear the rear side of the field-board, and the end ortions are turned forwardl. and secure to the frame. The interme late portions of the guide-bars are also connected with the field-board by small angle-brackets 26 extending back from said board beneath the lower edges of the bars. On the upper edge of the lower guide-bar 24 is disposed a slide 27 to which are secured a pair of' U- shaped members 28'which extend around beneaththe lower edge of the field-board and up in front thereof. At their fronti-.ends said members 28 carry flags 29 which are visible through the field-opening of the frame 6 and serve to indicate the position of the linesmens stakes. At their rear ends said members 28 terminate in pointers 31, and upon the rear surface of the field-board are marked yard-lines 33 corresponding with the yard-lines 9 on the front of the hoard, so that the operator of the`mechanism may readily set the` pointers 31 at the positions vrequired for appropriately displayingthe flags 29. Said flags or distance-markers are, of course, so spaced from each other as to represent between them the distance ot ten yards upon the ield'of play.

On the upper edge ofthe intermediate guide-bar 23 is mounted a slide 34 to which is secured a vertical bar 36 of which the upper and lower ends extend above and below the respective edges ofthe field-board and are turned forwardly to' extend slightly beyond the front side thereof, vsaid ends terminating near but not touching the rear side of the frame 6. On the upper portion of the bar 36 is a roller 37 which rests upon the upper edge of the guide-bar 22. Near the upper and lower ends of the vertical portion o the bar 36 are short transverse bars 38, to which are connected the ends of the tensionbraces 39, the central portions of said braces engaging the ends of.` strut-posts 41 which extend rearwardly from the slide 34, and the lower portions of the 'braces having turnbuckles 42 therein by which they may be tightened. To the horizontal forwardly projecting ends of the bar 36 are connected the ends of a pair of wires 43 which extend vertically across the front or face of the field-board, turn-buckles 44 being provided at the lower portions of 'said wires for maintaining the tension thereof. The tension of said wires 43 tends to bend forwardly the upper and lower vertical portions of the bar 36,` and it is the purpose of the tensionbraces 39 to prevent such bending of the bar without making the same of-such size and weight as to resist the stress thereon without the trussing arrangement afforded by said braces.

Opon the guide-wires 43, at the front of theifield-board 7, there is slidably mounted a ball 46, the same preferably being an elliptical or prolate spheroid, to better represent the shape of a foot-ball. The position of the ball upon the guides 43 is controlled by means of av sliding handle 4'( which is mounted upon the vertical bar 36 behind the field-board, said handle being connected with the ball b arranged as fol ows: One end of the cord is secured to the lower portion of the handle, and therefrom a portion 48 extends downwardly to a small pulley 49 mounted at one side of the bar near the lower end thereof. From the pulley 49 a cord-portion 51 extends upwardl to a pulley 52 mounted on the bar near t e upper end thereof, thence a cord-portion 53 extends forwardly to a pulley 54 mounted on the upper forwardly extending portion of the bar, and thence a cord-portion 55 extends downwardly to the ball 46. From the ball a cord-portion 56 extends down to a' pulley`57 mounted'on the lower horizontal portion of the slide-bar 36, thence a cord-portion 58 extends rearwardly to a pulley 59, thence a cord-portion 60 extends upwardly to a pulley 61, from which the remaining cord-portion 62 extends down and is secured tothe upper portion of' the handle 47, the ulleys 59 and 61 being mounted on the slide-bar at the sides thereof opposite the pulleys 49 and 52, respectively.

It will be seen that by the described ar-- rangement of the flexible connecting element between the handle 4Q and the ball 46, any movement of the han l bar 36 will result in' a similark movement of the ball upon the guides 43, the ball moving upwardly or downwardly the-same as the handle, and the parts being so proportioned that theball will be directly opposite the handle at all times. Thus the motions of the ball laterally of the field of play may be represented by vertical movements ofthe handle 47, and the motions of the ball londitudinally of the field may be represented by moving the handle horizontally," which will result in a shifting, lon itudmally of the guide-bars 22 and 23, of t e entire ball-sup-l porting and controlling mechanism consisting of the bar 36 and the parts carried thereon. Diagonal movements of the ball upon the field may be represented by simultaneously moving the handle laterally and longitudinally of the field board. The guidewires 43, and the control-cord portions 55 and 56, may be of a size and coloration such tor in front of the mechanism, while the ball may be of a suitable size and of such contrasting color as to be plainly visible.

The operation of t e mechanism as a whole will be clearly apparent. The opera- 125 a cord or flexible member e vertically upon the as to be substantially invisible to the specta- 12 y audace portion of the field. The operator-(may thus `graphically represent all incidents of the game which affect the location or movements of the ball upon the field, and at the same ot 1er details ofthe game may be shown to` the spectators in accordance with the description of the game received by `the operator from the actual field of play. At each first down the operator movesthe slide 27 to a positionsuch that one'of the flags 29 iS on th'ersame yard-line as the ball and the other flag at the appropriate advanced-position. 4

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and 'desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l.' .In a mechanism of the class described,

V the .combination with a field-board, and a frame spaced therefrom and having van opening through which the front of the field-board is in view, of guides extending longitudinally across the rear side of the field-board, ,a support-member mounted tomove longitudinally of said guides, and slidf able from `one end' of the field-board to the other. said support-member extendmg transversely of the guides and having end portions extending forwardly about opposite.

edges of the field-board, a control-handle mounted slidably upon said support-member, a flexible element extendingl from -s'aid handle to theend portions of said sup ortmember and across the front of the eldboard, and a ball connected with the front portion of said flexible element, and slidable across the field-board from one side to the other thereof, the control-handle being movsupport member having upper and lovver portions extending about the upper and lower edges of the field-board, a controlhandle mounted upon said support member nud slidable vertically thereon, a flexible element having its ends connected with said control-handle and extending therefrom.

about the upper and lower edges and across the 'front of the field-board, and a ball connected with the frontportion of said flexible element and movable therewith in all directions across the front ofthe 'field-board and from and to all positions thereon in accordance with movements of the. controlhandle. i

3. In a game reproducing mechanism, a

field-board, horizofau "guide-bars' XanaingV across the rear side of said field-board,

a ball-supporting and controlling mechanism a i mounted upon said guide-bars and slidable bodily longitudinally thereof .from end -to unon said front pormoving lthe same vertically aross the front' of the field-board from one side to the other-.s

thereof, Wherebylthrou'gh the. combination of said vertical movements and of the horizontal movements of the supporting mechanism as awhole the ball may be moved in any direction across the front of the fieldb oard from and to any points thereon. y

.4. In -a field-game reproducing mechamsm, a board shaped and pro ortioned to represent the field of play an marked on both its front and rear Siders with indicia of the conventional divisions of said field, a ball positioned at the front of said board, means extending across the front of the board for supporting and actuating said ball to move the same vertically from one side to the other of the said field, a control-mechanism mounted at the -rear of the board and having members extending about op osite edges of the board and connected Wit the supporting and actuating means at the front ofthe board, said control-mechanism being slidable vbodily from end to end of the board' to effect like movements of the ball, and a member on said control-mechanism for moving the ball, fixed means for guiding the slidably control-mechanism in its sliding movement transversely ofthe board.

5. In a foot-ball game re roducing mechanism, a board shaped an pro ortioned to represent thefield of play an marked on both its front and rear sides'with conventional yard-lines and goals, a control-mechanism mounted at the rear side of said board and slidable longitudinally thereof from end to end, fixed means for guiding the controlmechanism in its sliding movement, a member on said control mechanism slidable transversely of the board, a flexible element connected with saidmember and extending about opposite edges and across the front of thev board, and a ball connected with said flexible element at the front of the board and movable thereby transversely of the board.'

6. In a foot ball game reproducing mecha- 4 nism Yin combination, a board. shaped and marked to represent a conventional foot ball field with its yardage lines and goals, a ball, means for mounting the ball to move the same vertically and for also enabling the ball to move horizontally, a fixed' guide slidvably receiving the said means and extending in one of the said directions, a sin le operatlng device common to the vertical movable :means and the horizontally `mova le means for guiding the same for carrying the ball to any position on the field, and distance markers positioned adjacent to one edge of the board and movable to indicate the yardage to be gained on downs.

7. In a foot ball game reproducing mechanism, in combination, a board sha ed and marked to represent a conventional oot ball field with its yardage lines and goals, aframe spaced from the board and having an opening through which the said field is viewed, a ball, means for supporting the ball and for moving the same to definite positions on the field, a fixed guide extending longitudinally of the field,and marker members partially concealed by the board and projecting at the beginning thereof and slidable `along the said guide to indicate positions of linemen stakes and the yardage to be gained on downs.

8. In mechanism of the class described the combination of a field-board, a' frame spaced therefrom and having an opening exposing the front of the field-board, a suport-member extending across the fieldboard from one side to the other thereof,

fixed means for guidin the support-member for slidin the same rom one end of the field-boar to the other, a ball located at the front of the field-board means connected with the board and carried by the supportmember for moving the ball vertically from one side of the field to the other and an operating device common to the support-member and the ball actuatin means for moving the same simultaneous y for causing the ball to travel over the field in any direction.

9. In a foot ball game reproducing mechanism, the combination of a board sha ed and marked to represent a conventional oot ball field with its yardage lines and goals, a frame spaced from the board and having an opening through which the said field is viewed,va ball, means for supporting the ball and for moving the same to definite positions on the field, ya guide extending longitudinally of the field and located beyond an opening so as to be concealed by the frame, a slide movable along the guide from one end of the field 4to the other and spaced, marker .members carried by the slide and projecting at the opening to indicate the yardage to be gained on downs.

ROBERT R. OBRIEN. 

